Five Man March To Glory
What started with In-jae "EscA" Kim’s retirement from Overwatch back in November 2017, has finally concluded. After years of play and service to golden tigers, and arguably South Korean esports as a whole, the final member of Lunatic-Hai’s iconic roster, that comprised the core of the original Seoul Dynasty has departed. Jin-mo "tobi" Yang’s exit from Seoul was marked in a beautiful video, it highlighted his legacy, showcased his talent, and reminded us that this was an end to a generational era of Overwatch esports, the final chapter for one of the game’s essential stories.
They say legends never die, but to keep them alive, you have to remember them and keep telling their stories for others to share and appreciate. As time goes on and moves further from those peaks and breathtaking moments, it gets admittedly harder to remember why players and teams were so revered in the first place. It’s the challenge for Lunatic-Hai, and it’ll be the challenge for any team whose time has come and gone, but who still deserve to have their stories shared and remembered.
For the incredible five-man core of Lunatic-Hai that became the foundation for the Seoul Dynasty, it’s important to remember who they were and why they became legends of the game in the first place. The shepherds of some of the best moments in pre-OWL history, and heralds of the dawn of the new age for the game’s competitive scene. The OG back-to-back champions, former best players in the world, these are the core of innovators and groundbreakers that carved Lunatic-Hai’s name into the stone of Overwatch history.
NOT FOR LACK OF TRYING – THE ORIGINAL BEST CAPTAIN
A player like no other, Lunatic-Hai’s captain, EscA, was both widely loved and widely lauded, for time and time again, proving to be the player LH desperately needed while also being the player they desperately needed to replace. Mechanically, he was never one of the best, he was never a player who would dominate and then destroy on every map with his best heroes. But for Lunatic-Hai, that wasn’t necessary. For them, they had enough firepower on every other role, that EscA hanging out and being a leader for the team in-game was more than enough. For the most part at least.
EscA was the brains of the operation, not the brawn, so on traditionally mechanically demanding heroes like Tracer or McCree, it wasn’t really his style. He was a veteran, a leader, someone who guided the team mid-fight and kept their heads in the game outside it. So, while he wasn’t hitting trick shots on Widowmaker, EscA was holding down the fort and doing the best he could. But it was on heroes like Mei, and especially Sombra, where he truly shined and it was his absolutely astounding discipline and big brain tactics that gave Lunatic-Hai the edge to win their two APEX titles.
Lest we forget EscA’s game-changing transcendence bait against KongDoo Panthera, or his gravity-defying 5-man Deadeye at the 2016 Overwatch World Cup against Team USA. EscA is a two-time champion in the game’s most prestigious tournament of his era for a reason. He is not to be forgotten as he was one of the most important DPS players in the game’s history - and crucial to Lunatic-Hai’s success.
MIROGDM – THE FIRST BEST WINSTON
In a world where Reinhardt dominated the meta-since the game’s release, where the fat Earthshatters and crazy charges were all you needed to have a great main tank for your team, it was Jin-hyuk "Miro" Gong who defied convention and became a legend because of it. It was Miro at the 2016 Overwatch World Cup, who showcased to the world the incredible power of Winston, in an era where nobody had eyes on the hero or South Korean Overwatch in general. Here in Anaheim, he put himself, his monkey, and his region on the map, and truly was a trailblazer for the main tank position in those early days of Overwatch.
His style and talent became well known across the Overwatch world, and even if his Reinhardt faltered from time to time, he still gave a knockout performance to run circles around an enemy team’s main tank. It was most certainly enough to deny both Sang-hoon "Kaiser" Ryu and Chan-hyung "Fissure" Baek trophies, in their respective grand finals, and both who were widely favoured over Miro on the hero.
While his style of play was figured out and teams made significant efforts to lock him out during his time in the Overwatch League, Miro is one of the greats in the game's history - no question about it. No one could be that influential, that game-changing and still not be considered one of the best to ever do it. Miro was a big figure in changing the way main tank was played, viewed, and appreciated, during the game’s infancy.
EVER THE PERSISTENT SOLDIER – LH’S TRIED AND TRUSTED OFF-TANK
Joon-hyuk "zunba" Kim's name is synonymous with one thing and one thing only, the iconic zunba-grav.
Defying gravity, the world kissed zunba’s Zarya goodbye as he flew to the top ropes of Eichenwalde second point to launch a Graviton Surge in Team USA’s face at the 2016 Overwatch World Cup. Catching USA and the world off-guard, zunba made history in a matter of 15 seconds, securing his place in Overwatch history before APEX Season 1 even finished.
World-renowned for his dominant Zarya, and his ever-consistent D.Va. On his time with Lunatic-Hai and the Seoul Dynasty, zunba was always able to keep pace with the rest of the league and be able to keep Seoul in the series when needed to. Much like his tank-counterpart, Miro, zunba was a trailblazer for the off-tank position as a whole, widely regarded as one of the best during his peaks on the heroes.
A two-time two-timer, zunba won back-to-back APEX titles and represented South Korea for two back-to-back World Cup gold medals, a tough accolade for anyone down the line to repeat. Another innovator in team chock-full of their day’s best talents, zunba will forever live on in history as one of the best off-tanks in his prime.
ONE AND ONLY GOD ANA – THE MAN WHO CHANGED THE GAME
Before Sung-hyeon "JJoNak" Bang, defied expectations for gameplay on Zenyatta, Jehong "ryujehong" Ryu changed the game with his Ana play. Iconic Sleep Darts, essential Nano-boosts, and mechanically gifted to no end, Ryujehong was the people’s champion for much of his career and for much of pre-OWL Overwatch. Nothing can understate how defining Jehong’s Ana is to the game. How he was the sole player to elevate her potential higher than any other and defined a legacy because of it. For a lot of players, you weren’t scared to go up against Lunatic-Hai, you were scared to go up against Jehong, and his ability to absolutely turn your DPS into mincemeat should they even think of challenging him.
For a long time, Jehong was a God amongst men, a champion untouchable through modern means of convention. Hardly any player, even his former teammates on LH, could rival his heights and leave as pure a legacy as he has. He’s one of the oldest players in the scene but was capable to defy convention and expectations for his age and his role, to truly become one of the best players in Overwatch history.
OG FROG KING – BOOPS FOR THE BOOP GOD
In the current era of Overwatch, you have Lucio-freaks, players who are unbelievably gifted on Lucio to a point where their mechanics were beyond disgusting. But before them, before Brice "FDGod" Monsçavoir and Jae-gon "LeeJaeGon" Lee, there was tobi, a seemingly mild-mannered yet deadly support player who was crucial in Lunatic-Hai’s success in their two seasons of APEX, and for South Korea in the 2017 Overwatch World Cup.
Tobi, again like the rest of his teammates, showed the world that Lucio was more than just a speed and healing hero, he was a fragger too. He revolutionised the way to play the hero, he was a deadly counterpart, to an already deadly support player, and it made Lunatic-Hai, arguably, the first team to feature such a deadly backline, one that would be impossible to overcome through conventional means. A leader and veteran for the team, tobi became known for his in-game leadership and pioneering main support play.
Even when the going got tough on a new meta that was more Mercy dominant, somewhere along the line, tobi found the will to upgrade his play and was a big part in the Seoul Dynasty’s playoff run and second-place finish at the 2020 Overwatch League Playoffs. But it was his time on Lunatic-Hai that would truly define his career and gave him that eternal status as a legendary innovator, along with the rest of his teammates. Tobi was one of the first Lucio kings, and still remains so in the hearts of many fans, and hopefully, that’s how history will remember him.
Lunatic-Hai is famous and iconic for all the right reasons. A team of innovators, players who more than expanded the level of play in an era of Overwatch the world will never see again. While some have gone on to new opportunities, some still looking to represent an Overwatch League team again in the near future, no one can discount the efforts and legacies of these legendary players. Let the names of moments of these players live forever in our memory, and as the pages in Overwatch’s story keep turning never forget their impact on the game.
All images courtesy of OGN
